Chimera

Chapter 4

Hermione arrived at work earlier than usual, determined not to give Draco more ammunition than necessary.

"Well, I guess it's an improvement on yesterday," Draco drawled.

Hermione shrieked and jumped backwards into the doorframe. A stunning spell shot from her wand, barely missing his ear.

"What the hell?!" Hermione yelled, clutching her chest.

Draco looked over his shoulder at the scorch-mark on the wall. He raised an eyebrow then turned back to the paperwork on his desk. Hermione collapsed into her chair, taking deep breaths. The clock over the desk confirmed she was an hour early.

"How long have you been here?" Hermione asked at last.

Draco pulled a silver pocket-watch out of his robes and flicked it open.

"Just over half an hour," he said, tucking it back into his pocket.

"Why?"

Draco responded by gesturing at the stacks of work on their desks. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"Quite the change from yesterday," Hermione said, trying to puzzle him out.

Draco shrugged. His quill scratched on the parchment as he sifted through reports. Blonde hair fell into his eyes, and he scrunched his nose before finger-combing it back. Hermione realised she was staring and forced herself to focus. She snatched up her diary.

"We've a meeting this afternoon," Hermione said, seeing the department intern had pencilled one in. "Ground-floor conference room. Centaurs."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" Hermione asked, perplexed. "Because it's our job?!"

"No, I mean...why are they coming here?"

Hermione frowned at him. Draco looked just as confused by her answer as she was by the question. She flipped to the diary's notes section.

"Says here it's a meeting about the Weird Sisters concert encroaching on their territory."

Draco sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose, briefly closing his eyes. He seemed genuinely frustrated by her reply.

"That's still not what I'm asking," Draco said, enunciating his words carefully as though she was being purposefully obtuse. "Why are they coming here, instead of us going there? Wouldn't that make our clients feel more comfortable?"

Hermione gaped. She had been asking the same thing since she joined the department, and had yet to receive a satisfactory answer.

"Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?" Hermione joked, weakly.

"No need to sound quite so shocked, Granger," Draco smirked.

*****

Draco didn't say anything else to surprise her that morning. He barely said anything at all until midday.

"Right then," Draco said, cracking his neck as he stretched. "I'm going out for lunch, try not to miss me too badly."

"I'll do my best," Hermione said dryly.

Once Draco left, Hermione took the opportunity to fix his chair and look over his work. She had to admit he was doing well. His elegant handwriting swept across the pages, concisely noting important information. The filing system he created was neat and efficient, and he had even watered the plants.

"Mr Malfoy seems to be doing well, doesn't he?" Mr Singh asked, beaming from the doorway.

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. Mr Singh spoke highly of the new recruit after his interviews the week before. Hermione had been excited - before she knew who it was.

"We had a bit of a rocky start," Hermione said, trying to balance truth with tact, "but he seems to be catching on quickly."

"Excellent, excellent!" Mr Singh said and strolled out of the department, humming to himself.

Hermione picked up her handbag. With a groan, she realised she'd forgotten her lunch.

"I'm going down to the canteen, need anything?"

It was the intern, Ellie, a sixth year student on summer work experience. She had a pale, heart-shaped face and dyed her hair a different colour each week. It was currently blue.

"Uh, actually I think I'll pop home," Hermione said. "Thank you though!"

Hermione walked through the busy corridors until she reached the apparition point. With a sickening lurch, the Ministry disappeared. She arrived with a thud in her bedroom, hundreds of miles north of London, in the outskirts of Manchester. As she walked out of the room, Hermione spotted her lunch on the kitchen counter. The summer sun pouring through the window had warmed it until it was inedible.

"Bugger," Hermione sighed, dropping the food into the bin.

She threw a packet of minute-rice into the microwave and poured a glass of juice. With a twitch of her wand, Hermione commanded the sink full of dishes to wash themselves. Squinting at the bright sun, Hermione went to close the curtains. She glanced outside and smiled at her car, parked on the street far below. It was a silver Austin Maestro, old and boxy with more rust than paint. She named it 'Mouse'.

Ron had called her crazy for buying it, reminding her endlessly she was a witch and could apparate. She frowned at the memory and jerked the curtains shut.

Hermione curled up on the sofa, legs tucked under her. She looked around her flat as she waited for the rice to cool. It was a tiny place, with the kitchen, dining room and living room all in one. Her bedroom was too small for any furniture other than her bed and school trunk, which had an extension charm to store her clothes and books.

Outside, a siren wailed as a police car screeched past. Hermione grew up in the countryside, but she had learned to love the vibrancy of city-living. Besides, an apartment on the top floor of a block of flats was all she could afford.

Ron had repeatedly suggested they move in together, that his auror salary combined with hers meant they could get a nicer place. Hermione shook her head slightly. She liked her flat. She liked having her own space. Ron didn't quite understand that.

"Ron didn't understand much about me," Hermione muttered as she dumped her bowl in the now-empty sink.

Crookshanks hopped onto the counter, butting his ugly face against her hand until she scratched behind his ears.

"You're right, he didn't understand you much either," Hermione smiled at her cat. "Well, I'd better get back to work and quit moping, huh?"

Crookshanks mewed quietly in agreement. He jumped down, purring as he twined between her legs, then sauntered off into the bedroom. Hermione brushed off the worst of the orange cat hair and apparated back to the Ministry.